Castle Air Museum

Castle Air Museum is a military aviation museum located in Atwater, California, United States adjacent to Castle Airport, a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base which was closed in 1995, after the end of the Cold War. It is one of the largest aerospace museums displaying vintage aircraft in the western United States.

Castle Air Museum
Castle Air Museum is located in California
Castle Air Museum
Location within California
Castle Air Museum is located in the United States
Castle Air Museum
Castle Air Museum (the United States)
Established20 June 1981
Location5050 Santa Fe Drive
Atwater, California 95301
Coordinates37.36475°N 120.577944°W / 37.36475; -120.577944
TypeMilitary aviation museum
Founder
  • Cliff James[1]
  • Gen. James P. McCarthy[2]
Websitewww.castleairmuseum.org

History and information

The museum opened with 12 aircraft on 20 June 1981 as a branch of the United States Air Force Museum system.[3] Only four months later, an additional four aircraft were placed on display.[4] Then in 1983, an audit criticized leadership for poor accountability of resources, displaying aircraft outside the museum's mission, and lack of security.[5] When Castle Air Force Base was closed in April 1995 and became Castle Airport, the museum similarly became private.[6][7][lower-alpha 1] The loss of federal funding eventually caused financial problems for the museum.[9]

It currently displays over 60 restored World War II, Korean War, Cold War, and modern era aircraft. The outdoor museum covers 11 acres (45,000 m2), and among the exhibit highlights are a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird (one of only 19 surviving), a Boeing B-52D Stratofortress, and the massive, ten-engined Convair RB-36H Peacemaker, one of only four surviving and the largest mass-produced piston aircraft in history. An indoor museum features artifacts, photographs, uniforms, war memorabilia, aircraft engines, and a restored B-52 Stratofortress flight deck. A crew of volunteers restores and maintains the aircraft on display.[10] The museum also hosts a periodic Open House in which visitors can view the interiors of certain planes.

In May 2008, the museum reached its 50th displayed aircraft milestone with the addition of a Douglas A-4L Skyhawk. The aircraft was shipped to the museum in August 2006, and restored at a cost of $12,000.[10]

In October 2013, the Museum received a retired VC-9C aircraft that had previously served during several administrations as an alternate Air Force One and Air Force Two aircraft when use of the primary VC-137 or VC-25 was impractical.[11] Vice presidents such as Al Gore and Dick Cheney, and First Ladies such as Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Hillary Clinton, as well as presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, were among the individuals who used the plane.[11]

In 2021, the museum received 5 aircraft from Naval Air Museum Barbers Point, which had closed two years prior.[12][13][14]

An McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was moved to the museum in July 2023.[15]

Alleged paranormal occurrences

The B-29A Superfortress exhibit is reported to be haunted by a spirit named "Arthur."[16] Museum management has reported that visitors, including paranormal investigators, have heard knocking and footsteps from inside the plane. In addition, lights in the aircraft have been known to turn on and off, and the propellers are known to turn even though they are locked in place. An apparition has allegedly been photographed on several occasions, and paranormal researchers claim to have detected anomalous readings on their equipment.[17] The paranormal occurrences have been featured on an episode of UPN's Real Ghosts (1995).

Collection
Boeing B-29A Superfortress
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
Convair RB-36H Peacemaker
Boeing B-50 Superfortress
Douglas B-23 Dragon
Avro Vulcan
Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter
Boeing B-47 Stratojet
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger
Aircraft on Display[18]
NameRoleClassIntroducedNotes
Avro-Canada CF-100 Mk.V CanuckInterceptorJet1952
Avro Vulcan B.2Strategic BomberJet1958
Beech C-45G ExpeditorUtilityPropeller1937Military version of the Beechcraft Model 18
Beech YT-34 MentorTrainerPropeller1953Military version of the Beechcraft Bonanza
Bell AH-1 SuperCobraAttackHelicopter1971
Bell H-13 SiouxTransportHelicopter1948Military version of the Bell 47
Boeing B-17G Flying FortressBomberPropeller1937
Boeing B-29A SuperfortressBomberPropeller1944
Boeing B-47E StratojetStrategic BomberJet1951
Boeing B-52D StratofortressStrategic BomberJet1955
Boeing CH-47D ChinookTransportHelicopter1962
Boeing F/A-18C HornetFighterJet1987
Boeing KC-97 StratofreighterTankerPropeller1951
Boeing KC-135A StratotankerTankerJet1957
Boeing WB-50 SuperfortressBomber/Weather ReconnaissancePropeller1948
Cessna C-150UtilityPropeller1957
Cessna O-2A Super SkymasterObservationPropeller1967Military version of the Cessna Skymaster
Cessna T-37B TweetTrainerJet1957Trainer Experimental (TX) program
Cessna U-3A Blue CanoeUtilityPropeller1957Military version of the Cessna 310
Cessna UC-78 Bamboo BomberBomberPropeller1943Military version of the Cessna T-50
Consolidated B-24M LiberatorBomberPropeller1941Used by the 93rd Bomb Group
Convair B-58A HustlerStrategic BomberJet1960
Convair F-102A Delta DaggerInterceptorJet1956
Convair F-106A Delta DartInterceptorJet1959
Convair HC-131 SamaritanTransportPropeller1950Military version of the Convair CV-240
Convair RB-36H PeacemakerStrategic Bomber/ReconnaissanceJet/Propeller1949
Curtiss C-46D CommandoTransportPropeller1941
de Havilland Canada L-20 BeaverUtilityPropeller1948Military version of the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver
Douglas A-26B InvaderBomberPropeller1943
Douglas A-4L SkyhawkAttack FighterJet1956
Douglas B-18 BoloBomberPropeller1936Developed from the Douglas DC-2
Douglas B-23 DragonBomberPropeller1939Developed from the Douglas B-18 Bolo
Douglas C-47 SkytrainTransportPropeller1941Military version of the Douglas DC-3
Douglas R5D-4 SkymasterTransportPropeller1942Military version of the Douglas DC-4
Douglas RA-3B SkywarriorStrategic BomberJet1956
Douglas SBD-4 DauntlessScout/BomberPropeller1940
Fairchild C-119C Flying BoxcarTransportPropeller1949Developed from the Fairchild C-82 Packet
Fairchild C-123K ProviderTransportPropeller1956Developed from the Chase XCG-20
General Dynamics F-16A Fighting FalconFighterJet1978
General Dynamics FB-111A AardvarkStrategic BomberJet1967
Grumman A-6E IntruderFighterJet1970
Grumman F-14D TomcatFighterJet1974
Grumman HU-16B AlbatrossAmphibious RescuePropeller1949Developed from the Grumman Mallard
Grumman S-2 TrackerAnti-submarine WarfarePropeller1954
Kaman HH-43B HuskieFirefighting/Search and RescueHelicopter1953
Lockheed C-56 LodestarTransportPropeller1940Military version of the Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar
Lockheed EC-121 Warning StarReconPropeller1954Military version of the Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation
Lockheed F-80B Shooting StarFighterJet1945
Lockheed F-104B StarfighterInterceptorJet1958
Lockheed F-94A StarfireInterceptorJet1950Developed from the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star
Lockheed MC-130P Combat ShadowTransportPropeller1986
Lockheed SR-71 BlackbirdStrategic ReconnaissanceJet1966Developed from the Lockheed A-12
Lockheed T-33 Shooting StarTrainerJet1948Developed from the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star
Martin EB-57A CanberraStrategic Bomber/ReconnaissanceJet1951Developed from the British English Electric Canberra
McDonnell Douglas F-15A EagleFighterJet1976
McDonnell Douglas VC-9CExecutive TransportJet1968Military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-9
McDonnell F-101B VoodooFighterJet1957
McDonnell F-4E PhantomFighterJet1960
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21Fighter/InterceptorJet1956
North American AT-6 TexanTrainerPropeller1937
North American B-25J MitchellBomberPropeller1941
North American B-45A TornadoStrategic BomberJet1948
North American F-86H SabreFighterJet1949Developed from the North American FJ-1 Fury
North American F-100 Super SabreFighterJet1954Developed from the North American F-86 Sabre
North American RA-5C VigilanteStrategic Bomber/ReconnaissanceJet1961
North American T-39 SaberlinerTrainer/UtilityJet1962Utility Trainer Experimental (UTX) program
Northrop F-89J ScorpionInterceptorJet1950
Northrop T-38 TalonTrainerJet1961
Northrop Grumman EA-6B ProwlerElectronic WarfareJet1971Developed from the Grumman A-6 Intruder
Republic F-84C ThunderjetFighter BomberJet1947
Republic F-84F ThunderstreakFighter BomberJet1954Developed from the Republic F-84 Thunderjet
Republic F-105B ThunderchiefFighter BomberJet1958
Saab TF 35 DrakenFighterJet1960
Sikorsky SH-60B SeahawkUtilityHelicopter1983Developed from the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
Schweizer TG-3AUtilityGlider1942
Stinson L-5 SentinelUtilityPropellor1941Developed from the Stinson Voyager
Vought RF-8G CrusaderFighter/ReconnaissanceJet1957
Vultee BT-13 ValiantTrainerPropeller1939
Complementary Exhibits[18]
NameTypeIntroduced
AGM-28 Hound DogCruise Missile1959
GAM-63 RascalNuclear Air-to-Surface Missile1952
MB-1CB-58 Nuclear Weapons Pod
Kawasaki KAQ-1UAV/Target Drone1950
MK. 17Thermonuclear Bomb1954
NASA "Hyperglider"Experimental Vehicle
Norden Mk. XVDeclassified Bombsight
Ryan BQM-34UAV/Target Drone1955

References

Footnotes
  1. Around the same time, an effort to have the museum's B-24 transferred to the Imperial War Museum Duxford was blocked.[8]

Citations
  1. Miller, Brittany (29 June 2023). "Air Museum unveils Cliff James Memorial". Merced County Times. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  2. Yawger, Doane (26 November 2011). "Man instrumental in Castle's success has a homecoming". Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  3. "World War II Air Force Memories Will Abound at Castle Museum". West Side Index. 18 June 1981. p. 11. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  4. "Museum Unveils Four New Planes". Merced Sun-Star. 15 October 1981. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  5. McCarthy, Charles (24 March 1983). "Castle Museum Audit Brings New Plan for Running Display". Fresno Bee. pp. B1, B4. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  6. "Face Lift on Tap for Air Museum's 'Movie Stars'". The Sun. McClatchy. 3 January 1995. p. B6. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  7. Carlson, Ken (13 June 1995). "Castle Museum Looks to Future". Merced Sun-Star. pp. A1, A6. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  8. Doyle, Michael; Khanh, Truong Phuoc (16 May 1995). "Castle's Rare Warplane Attracts Overseas Interest". The Fresno Bee. p. B2. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  9. "Castle Air Museum Struggling to Stay Open". Visalia Times-Delta. 30 November 2002. p. 2C. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  10. Keeler, Guy (2008-04-08). "A safe landing". Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2009-09-10.
  11. Yawger, Doane (16 October 2013). "Former Air Force One lands at Castle in Atwater". Merced Sun-Star. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  12. Lopez, Peter (8 December 2021). "Historic warbirds, artifacts making their way to Castle Air Museum in Atwater". FOX26News. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  13. Sembritzki, Halle (10 December 2021). "Atwater Castle Air Museum receives 5 historic aircraft from Hawaii following 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor". YourCentralValley.com. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  14. Kuhn, Andrew (20 February 2022). "Castle Air Museum expands aircraft collection with addition of vintage helicopters". Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved 21 February 2022 – via Yahoo! News.
  15. "Phantom 'Bunny' aircraft hops down Highway 58 to new home at Castle Air Museum". Bakersfield Now. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  16. "There's Something Inside Museum's Restored B-29". Salinas Californian. 2 October 1981. p. 19.
  17. Ghost Trackers article on the allegedly haunted B29 at Castle Air Museum Archived 2007-08-12 at the Wayback Machine
  18. "Castle Air Museum Aircraft Collection". Castle Air Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2023.

Bibliography
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37°21′53.1″N 120°34′40.6″W

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